RMF Freed Six Pasung Victims

By Rusmanadi

Barabai, South Kalimantan (Antaranews) - ""Rumah Manusia Foundation (RMF) again releasing six people with psychiatric disorders while in restraint or confinement (pasung) in Central Hulu Sungai (HST) District, South Kalimantan Province.

According to the Secretary of the RMF, Haris in Barabai, capital of HST, on Wednesday, six people were released during the past two months, from June to July. "Last June we freed two pasung victims in the Southern District of Batang Alai (BAS)," he said.

One single man aged 38 years had been restrained for the last two years. Another one, is a 40-year-old woman who was locked by her family in a sealed room for 18 years.

In the period of July, RMF freed four people of pasung victims in the District deprived Pandawan. They are two women aged 39 years and 46 years and two men aged 50 years and 29 years.

One of the two women had been chained for 10 years and another was locked in a room for six years.

While the two men, each of which has been restrained for 30 years, one with chain and another was clamped his legs with wooden beams for a year.

RMF itself is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which has a special work program on child protection and handling of patients restrained or confined of psychiatric disorders.

Since late 2012, RMF focus on handling of patients of psychiatric disorders in Banua Anam areas, which consists of six districts in South Kalimantan. Their members are members of the Rapid Response Team (TRC) of the Ministry of Social Affairs and throughout 2013 have freed 17 people of pasung victims with psychiatric disorders in HST.